Feminism: A Nano-Game Anthology

The correct title of this article is #Feminism: A Nano-Game Anthology. It appears incorrectly here because of technical restrictions.

#Feminism: A Nano-Game Anthology (2016) is a collection consisting of 34 nano-games. It is published by Fëa Livia, and edited by Lizzie Stark, Anna Westerling, Misha Bushyager, and Shuo Meng.

The folowing writers contributed: Katrin Førde, Agata Swistak, Karin Edman, Anna Westerling, Lizzie Stark, Elin Nilsen, Ann Eriksen, Kaisa Kangas, Julia Ellingboe, Frida Karlsson Lindgren, Sofia Stenler, Kajsa Greger, Frederik Berg, Rebecka Eriksson, Tobias Wrigstad, Kira Magrann, Susanne Vejdemo, Elsa Helin, Muriel Algayres, Laura Simpson, Tora de Boer, Eva Wei, Jason Morningstar, Evan Torner, Emily Care Boss, Kat Jones, Dominika Kovacova, Sarah Bowman, Siri Sandquist, Baptiste Cazes, Leïla Teteau-Surel, Laura Guedes, Cathriona Tobin, Livia von Sucro, Rowan Cota, Moyra Turkington.

About the Collection

Written by feminists from eleven different countries, #Feminism offers bite-sized takes on contemporary feminist issues. Each of the 34 nano-games in this collection requires between three and five participants, simple (if any) props, and up to an hour of play time.

The games range from silly to serious, including scenarios about selfies and rom-coms as well as reproductive rights and domestic violence. And of course, enjoyment has no ideological boundaries–there are games here for participants new to feminism as well as those experienced in making gender arguments on the internet.

The collection is available in a glossy magazine-style book, as well as a .pdf. It had its official premiere at Fastaval 2016, and has also traveled to conventions in Poland, the US, and Sweden, as well as to college classrooms throughout the US.

Process

Stark, Westerling, and Bushyager met at a small housecon in the US, and held a workshop for the project. Each participant could tag in two more people they thought should participate, and so on, and so on. This enabled the editorial committee to reach participants they otherwise would not have.  All designers who produced a complete game draft by the editorial deadline were included in the book. One person tagged into the project, Shuo Meng, ended up designing the collection and contributed additional editing. 

The editors asked participants to design a nano-game about an issue in contemporary feminism that was important to them.

With a collective of roughly 80 people, the editors hooked up designers, particularly new designers, with sparring partners. Other participants provided copyediting/proofing, moral support, playtesting, crowdfunding advice, and in the later stages of the project, distribution, publicity, and facilitation at distant conventions.

The project's successful crowdfunding campaign raised roughly $6,000 toward the costs of print and distribution of the hardcopy.

Games

Romance

First Date by Katrin Førde (Norway)

A game about a date gone wrong and a rant about the orgasm gap.

2–5 players; 30 mins; Intensity 1/5.

Flirt by Agata Swistak (Poland)

Flirt is an attempt to deconstruct the game almost everyone is playing — game of hook-ups, crushes, and scoring!

4–5 players; 60 minutes; Intensity 2/5.

Spin the Goddesses by Karin Edman (Sweden)

A kissing game of lesbian witches.

4–5 players; 30 minutes; Intensity 3/5.

Willful Disregard by Anna Westerling (Sweden)

A love story.

3 players; 60 minutes; Intensity 4/5.

Women in the Media

Manic Pixie Dream Girl Commandos by Lizzie Stark (US)

A military unit undertakes its last whimsical mission before retiring to civilian life.

3–5 players; 45 minutes; Intensity 1/5.

6016 by Elin Nilsen (Norway)

In 6016 the only historical source of the 21st century is a collection of clips from the soap opera Love, Lust and Lack of Trust.

3–6 players; 45 minutes, Intensity 1/5.

Tropes vs. Women by Ann Eriksen (Denmark)

Explore well-known movie clichés and tropes about women in a fun and not too serious way.

3–5 players; 20 minutes; Intensity 1/5.

Lipstick by Kaisa Kangas (Finland)

Sofia hesitates about whether to wear lipstick to a TV debate on feminism.

3 players; 40 minutes; Intensity 3/5.

You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby by Julia Ellingboe (US)

A game about gender, cultural, and ethnic representation in the movies.

5-6 players; 45 minutes; Intensity 3/5.

Body

Restrictions by Frida Karlsson Lindgren and Sofia Stenler (Sweden)

A non-verbal game on how we are and aren’t allowed to move together, as two genders.

3+ players; 45 minutes; Intensity 2/5.

Mentioning the Unmentionables by Kajsa Greger (Sweden)

Three games about the anatomy of women.

3–5 players; 60 minutes; Intensity 3/5.

Flesh by Frederik Berg, Rebecka Eriksson, and Tobias Wrigstad (Sweden)

A physical game about the objectification of women or how women’s bodies are butchered into parts.

3–12 players; 60 minutes; Intensity 4/5.

The Digital Age

Selfie by Kira Magrann (US)

An intimate game about feelings in images.

3–5 players; 30 minutes; Intensity 2/5.

So Mom I Made This Sex Tape by Susanne Vejdemo (Sweden)

Different generations of feminists argue it out about sex, porn, and what the main point of feminism really is.

3–5 players; 40 minutes; Intensity 3/5.

My Sister, Malala by Elsa Helin (Sweden)

A game about freedom of thoughts and ideas for girls in Pakistan.

3 players; 45 minutes; Intensity 4/5.

 

On the Move

A Friend in Need by Muriel Algayres (France)

A nano-game about street harassment, victim-blaming and friendship. After a bad encounter on the street, can Ella get over victim-blaming with the help of her friends?

4 players; 45 minutes; Intensity 4/5.

Driving to Reunion by Laura Simpson (US)

An intergenerational game about four Black women trying to understand each other, as they drive back for college reunion.

4 players; 45 minutes; Intensity 4/5.

Catcalling by Tora de Boer (Denmark)

Street harassment feels different depending on whether bystanders support the harasser or the victim.

4 players; 30 minutes; Intensity 4/5.

 

Playing Well with Others

How to Be Ava White by Eva Wei (Sweden)

At a board meeting, parts of Ava White’s personality decide how to make her the perfect woman.

3+ players; 60 minutes; Intensity 4/5.

Shoutdown to Launch by Jason Morningstar (US)

In this game about gendered interruption, a bunch of engineers need to fix a problem with a rocket engine in the dwindling time before launch. It won’t go well.

4+ players; 30 minutes; Intensity 4/5.

“Something to Drink with That, Sir?” by Evan Torner (US)

A woman flight attendant performs emotional labor to serve three different male passengers.

4 players; 30 minutes; Intensity 3/5.

“Ma, Can I Help You with That?” by Emily Care Boss (US)

A game about family, age and the gendered nature of care-giving.

4 players; 30 minutes; Intensity 4/5.

 

At Work

Glitzy Nails by Kat Jones (US)

Glitzy Nails is a freeform scenario about intersectional feminism, interactions between women,

and nail salons.

2–4 players; 60 minutes; Intensity 3/5.

Stripped by Dominika Kovacova (UK)

A game about stripping off the stigma.

3–5 players; 40 minutes; Intensity 3/5.

President by Kaisa Kangas (Finland)

The war-waging Akhaian empire has elected its first female president, a very successful lady general, and feminists with conflicting agendas are trying to draft a press statement together.

4 players; 60 minutes; Intensity 3/5.

Curtain Call by Sarah Bowman (US)

A larp about the experiences of a woman in the music industry over the course of four decades.

3–10 players; 45 minutes; Intensity 4/5.

 

Difficult Decisions

The Grey Zone by Siri Sandquist (Sweden)

A larp about the grey zone between rape and consensual sex in a relationship.

5 players; 45 minutes; Intensity 4/5.

Family Planning Clinic by Baptiste Cazes and Leïla Teteau-Surel with Laura Guedes (France)

A game about women’s health where players will play short scenes from the daily life of a French family planning clinic inspired by real stories.

3–4 players; 45 minutes; Intensity 4/5.

First Joyful Mystery by Cathriona Tobin (Ireland)

Players examine the impact Ireland’s prohibitive abortion laws have on people who find themselves pregnant.

3–5 players; 60 minutes; Intensity 5/5.

 

Violent Encounters

Girl: A Game for Boys by Livia von Sucro (Brazil)

A small exercise about empathy, designed for cis gendered men to take a glimpse of what it feels like to be a victim of violence against women.

3+ players; 50 minutes; Intensity 5/5.

Her Last Tweet by Rowan Cota (US)

A microgame exploring being a potential victim of a campus shooting event.

5 players; 45 minutes; Intensity 5/5.

Tour of Duty by Moyra Turkington (Canada)

A freeform nano-scenario about what it’s like to serve and defend as a woman in the US Military.

2–5 players; 45 minutes; Intensity 5/5.